Block spacers are typically used to construct retaining walls or the like and maintain the blocks of lower tiers and upper tiers in alignment without the necessity of using mortar. An example of a support member for use in laying concrete blocks is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,397 wherein the support member comprises an elongate body piece having appendages projecting downwardly which are positioned so as to abut against the rear wall of a lower tier and appendages projecting upwardly which receive the rear wall of the upper tier therebetween to maintain the upper and lower tiers in alignment. The elongate body piece has a length extending across the blocks and a width which is relatively narrow in comparison to the length of the elongate body piece.
Such an arrangement does not serve to enclose either the horizontal joints between the upper and lower tiers or the vertical joints between laterally adjacent blocks. Also, the arrangement does not include a horizontal support member having a drip rail disposed at the front end of the body piece which facilitates removal of precipitation and defines front and lateral locator positions for the upper tiers.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a block spacer system which permits construction of a retaining wall without the use of mortar or specialized tools. It further is desirable to enclose the horizontal and vertical joints of the mortarless wall and to provide a drip rail which facilitates removal of precipitation and defines a locator position for a front face of the upper tier relative to the front face of the lower tier. It also is desirable to provide a spacer web extending rearwardly from the drip rail to define a lateral locator position for opposing end faces of laterally adjacent blocks of the upper tier.